Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-27
rTpe Right of Translation i,1ieservaa.I
CHAPTER xxxrx.-A DISCOVERY.

be, and that he held and hoped to play
whining card, il CHANGED that On the yer
dEy after Melknie had permitted him t
EriDg from her the species OF half-prom
lse, an unforeseen event occurred.
4 The dispatch-box had been brought, q
I usual, little before breakfast time, fEon
the village postoa1ce and placed in III
hands of Mr.. Grimshaw, who alone pos
sessed the key thereof.
The Indian mail YVES due, bat poo
Melanie, despite what she had said on tb'
preceding day when tortured by her u1
cle's teunts, having ceased to hope 70
letters, seemed to take no iIt3res
in its appearance, but tusied her
self with the coffee oquipsge til
her uncle drew forth an impor
tsnt-looking packet, the size and address
Of which seemed TO puzzle him, snd cause
him to knit his heavy, gTizzled eyebrows
aud it certainly excited the curiosity o.
herself and her brother Reggie, who had
been wheeled over in his chair from the
Hall that morning, and was most oppor.
timely present.
The packet was addressed 60 the latter
IS "Lieutensnt Reginald Talbot, R. NJ
which made his hollow cheeks mantle
with pleasure, as he thought Of the past
time; and it YVES, moreover, enclosed in
large envelope inscribed "On Her Ma
jesty's Service"
Reginald opened the unexpected packet,
without examining the Indian postal
marks thereon, and the first object he
drew forth was long and bulky letter
addressed TO Melsnie-s letter which
Lonsdsle had taken the precsution TO
put also in an orderly-room envelope 70
battle Uncle GrinshSw, whom he had be-
gun, but most unWillingly, to .sa5pect at
LAST.
It was the letter he mad written, half
despairingly, IN Fort William on the night
before the emharkstion of the Bengal
;. column, in which-With ali his lates
EeTs--he assured her of bis unaltered ST
lection, his hopes ind wishes for their
mutual future, his fesrs and anxiety for
herself and her happiness at home, amid
all she had to contend with; his sorrow
and dismay that he had never received
even one letter from her; and Melanie
read on and on, and read and re-resd the
words again, foTgetful of those who
watched heT-forgetful of sll but the low
Ing letter she held IN her tremulous
fingers, and oblivious of the little gifts
forth-the Brahmin charm for himself, the
gold dog whistle for DickA the massive
gold coin for Uncle GrimshaA the bangles
and necklet for Melanie herself, WHO, in
her energy and absorption, began in low
and broken voice that psrt Of the letter
which enumerated the many miss.ves he
had posted at various points, and as none
of them had been returned to him by the
postal authorities, he concluded that they
must have reached their destination and
been tempered with there, and added
that he was determined TO put the matter
before Her MsjestY's Postmaster Gen
erSl.
Meanwhile, the face of Uncle Grim
shaw, who wiped his bald and shiny pate
with silken bsndana, was q picture of
confusion, as he found that he had been
thus Unexpectedly beffled in his selfish !
hopes, when they seemed TO have been
so near fruition; that be had been thus |
discovered, and COMPOUNDED, in r series |
of acts that were Sctusl feloDies-the |
suppression or destruction Of letters |
But Melanie, absorbed in what she resd, |
with eyes that were trimming and blinded |
with tears of joy, did not note his fac;
but Reggie old, and drew his deductions |
therefrom.
So did even Dick, who ioyousIy blew
his gold whistle repeatedly, and seemed |
to be wholly intent on balancing piece |
of toast on Bingo's nose, while secretly |
considering where to procure another |
hedgehog for his kind uncle's behoof, as |
the wasp's-nest had proved rather a |
troublesome affsir for the household gen
orally.
The keen, dark and searching eyes of
Reggie were turned upon his kinsmaD
with very uumistskable expression CT
triumph, scoTn and inquiry combined.
"To me all this is Die
utterly incomprehensibIel exclaimed |
Mr.. Grimshsw, viciously rssping up his
side tufts, feeling, in his desperation, 6
necessity for saying something.
$50 fncomprehensibIe that it is g mat
ter for the police; don't you think SO,
said DICK IN loE7 voice. heed
less of the savage glance dGrted at him by
his uncle, whose nerves ne further upset by |
a shrill sud proTsctsd b.ast on his new
dog whistle.
"What would you suggest, Reginsl6?"
asked Mr. Grimshaw, il rather broken
voice, ignoring the impudence OF Dick,
and thinking of the long ears. attributed to
"httle pitchers
81 would suggest the abolition of the
box; chuck it overboardi" re-
Pile Reggie, quite coolly. "Also, that in
future Melanie should post her letters by
hand"
Mr.. GrimshsW felt keeply ell this reply
inferred, and while his heart sWelled
with rsncour st and dislike if not positive
hate of the speaker, he wished himself,
Just then. st the North Pole, Jericho, or
any distant region.
'sHe knew himself TO be a double
traitor, and covered in his own sight,
and in the sight of al, except his coadiu-
tor, Mrs. Chillington, when they met, and
felt that he had lost all the little selt-re-
spect he had possessed since he left the
dingy recesses Of Birchin-lane, where,
like many others. he had learned
9TH { it's the noblest work OF man
To ill his pockets II he can;
That broken faith ard friends betrayed
are nought compared with resp rous trade;
Th- honoar's but an empty nam,
And wealth is better far than fame"
Yet there was necessity fo- assuming
pretty bold front, if it was possible, now:
and also assuming 8 virtue, though ne
had it not.
81 DO not understand your impairment
s8id he, sharply, 10 Reg
gle, whom he now loathed more than
ever. 81 have usually played my part in
the game Of life well and openly"
s'Yes, but you have won by tricks
rather than by honours, uncie," MSS the
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